Is Transhumanism Compatible with Hinduism?

Transhumanism aims towards changing the current conditions of the human race by coming up with technologies that can enhance the human mind and physic. However, in the Hindu religion the followers believe humans can become gods and gods can become humans. In addition, Hindus also believe that when someone dies, he or she is reborn as a god. This is unlike Christianity where humans are not in any position of becoming the God or taking a godly form.

Moreover, according to the traditional Hinduism, the supernatural spirit must be united with a biological body if separate from the brain with both breath and brain.

They, therefore, believe consciousness can evolve and migrate from animals to humans with a godly form with longer lifespans and most of them are human-animal hybrids with multiple arms, legs, multi-hued skin and superpowers. In addition, the Hindu cosmology supports the prospect of the posthumans.

Moreover, Hinduism believes in Karma, a concept that states, “Everyone gets what they deserve.” This idea stresses that wealth, health and good fortune only comes with prior effort. One can only acquire what he or she has worked for. This supports the compatibility of transhumanism and Hinduism in that transhumanism intends to provide the human race with a long life full of fulfillments.

In the Hindu traditions, human evolution does not threaten their gods and the main aim of the religion is to be one with the gods. All these concepts of Hinduism support the transhumanists’ ideas of biological enhancement, machine intelligence and uploading; thus proving the compatibility of transhumanism and Hinduism.

Therefore, why shouldn’t there be an enhancement of the human beings using biotechnology, cybernetics and other sophisticated human enhancement technologies to create “human gods” just like it is in the Hindu tradition?